| Southern Utes | Ute Mountain Utes | Bear Dance | Sundance |
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The Utes speak a Shoshonean language, which is part of the Uto-Aztecean language family, but became distinct from it in about the year Zero. The Hopi are strongly tied to the Utes by this language.
Also of the Shoshonean language group are Bannocks, Comanches, Chemehuevi, Goshutes, Paiutes, and of course Shoshones.
A Ute story is told of a time when hunters came across some small people who ran into the rocks in the hills. The hunters returned to tell the elders and were informed that these were the cliff-dwelling people. Those people are today known as the Hisatsinom or "ancient ones," which are the ancestors of the Hopi. These are the people the Navajo call the Anasazi, which is a referral to them as their ancient enemies.
Pictures in the photo album of
Chaco Canyon
will give you an idea of the size of these people.
The annual Ute Bear Dance in June is social and honors the grizzly bear, who was created
by Sinawaf, the One-Above, to teach the Ute strength, wisdom, and
survival, and to resist the mischief of Coyote. The dance is to awaken bear, and he will lead the people to gather roots, nuts, and berries. During this four-day festival the women choose partners, and this often leads to courtship and marriage.
The origin of the bear dance is told this way. Two brothers were hunting in the mountains and stopped to rest. One of the brothers saw a bear clawing and singing as he danced around a tree.
As one brother went on to hunt the other watched the bear, who taught him the dance and the song. The bear told him to teach this to his people as a sign of respect for the bear's spirit which gives strength.
The Annual Ute Bear Dance was held in the spring at the first sound
of thunder; about the middle of March.
But preparation was made all winter: around the campfires
the story teller told tales of the way of life and the singers
practised songs which had come in dreams.
As the time came near the men prepared the Bear Dance corral and
did other necessary work, while the women made the family's
clothes for the dance. The bands would come and set up camp.
After a long winter the festivities began. The men and women would
enter the corral wearing plumes that signified their
worries. At the end of the dance on the fourth day, the plumes
would be hung on a cedar tree at the east entrance of the corral
and they would leave their troubles behind.
Cameras are allowed for this social dance, but it is always
a good idea to get permission when coming onto any of
the reservations.
From the editor: There is no way that I can capture
the full meaning of the Sundance with my words, so I will keep this
to a minimal description.
Preparation begins with tagu-wuni: "standing thirsty."
This is a four day fast from both food and liquids, and is done
inside the Sundance lodge, along with ceremonies and dancing.
The Sundancer represents not only himself, but his family
and the community. Their presence reminds him that though he
is the receiver of the "medicine power," and it can be used
for personal gain, the Great Spirit is the source, and the
true purpose is to share.
This ageless ceremony is both the means to a common bond, and
the reminder of the spirituality which bids the Utes
together.
This most important of the Ute spiritual ceremonies takes place once
a year, and is a quest for medicine power that is personal
between the Sundancer and the Great Spirit. The dancer must
be commanded, sometimes in a dream, to take part in this
ceremony that bonds the Utes.
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© Copyright 1998 by L. Michael Smith. Fair use granted.